Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

WHEREAS the harmonization strategy will unfairly treat single mothers living in social housing;

AND WHEREAS the strategy will result in family maintenance payments being treated as income and calculated in rent of the social housing unit;

AND WHEREAS it will result in a significant increase in rent and will lower the standard of living for families headed by single working parents;

AND WHEREAS those rent increases will force single working mothers to make choices between paying their rent and feeding their children;

AND WHEREAS the strategy will force single working mothers who have made productive choices back into income support so that they can support their children;

AND WHEREAS this strategy will further highlight the inequities between a single parent on income support and single parents who are only accessing social housing;

AND WHEREAS there are still far too many inequities and fundamental unfairness in the definition of calculating income for the purpose of income support and rent assessment and public housing;

AND WHEREAS further investigation of the impacts of the harmonization strategy on seniors, students and single parents is required;

NOW THEREFORE I MOVE, seconded by the honourable Member for Range Lake, that the harmonization strategy be changed to exclude single parents living in public housing.